Post navigation

Album Review: Enya – Dark Sky Island

Enya returns to from with new album
Fans of Enya had to wait a long, long time for this. The Irish singer-songwriter took an extensive break since the release of her Christmassy album And Winter Came… in 2008. Her last regular studio album Amarantine came out ten years ago. In September Enya surprised with the release of the single ‘Echoes In Rain’ and she immediately returned to form. From the first seconds on, her mystical and dreamy sound was back and that is something we hear throughout the brand new album Dark Sky Island.

When listening to the whole record, one can conclude that ‘Echoes in Rain’ was actually the track that is the most easy on the ear at first listen and therefore the perfect choice for the first single. Enya worked with producer Nicky Ryan and lyricist and poet Roma Ryan, who even brings back her Loxian language, introduced on Amarantine, on the tracks ‘The Forge of Angels’ and ‘The Loxian Gates’. The album opens with the song ‘The Humming…’, which not surprisingly was written from Enya humming a melody. The result is a hypnotic hymne with a strong recurring melody.

‘So I Could Find My Way’, written after the passing of producer Ryan’s mother, is probably the most emotional song on the record. The subtle waltz rhythm and Enya’s soaring vocals create an emotional atmosphere for this song about loss and looking back at the beautiful moments experienced with a person who passed away. Second single ‘Even In The Shadows’ has a welcome change of pace and a bit more bite, which saves the album from getting a bit repetitive or becoming a little too slow.

Overall, Enya once again manages to create a unique atmosphere that makes her music into an experience. This album is best to be enjoyed with dimmed lights, lying on the couch and just let her music take you away like the gentle waves, sonically presented on title track ‘Dark Sky Island’, that of course deals with water, like a lot of Enya’s work. She herself explained that the album is about journeys. As a listener we completed a mystical journey when the beautiful last notes of album closer ‘Diamonds On The Water’ play. Thanks for that Enya!

Must listen: Echoes In Rain, So I Could Find My Way, Even In The Shadows, The Humming, Dark Sky Island